Code 452 Where Are You?
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From: Bulltown, MO
Code 452 Where Are You?
The short version is: on a 94 F150 5.0 4R70W tranny vehicle, replace the VSS with a FORD PART, MOTORCRAFT E7TF-9E731-AB.
OK, I had the famous Flashing Light Shift Lever syndrome. Bought a code reader and got Code 452 - No Input From Vehicle Speed Sensor, AKA VSS. I got the Red Ryder a year ago and the flashing light problem came and went. Finally it came to stay. The tranny still shifted fine and usually shifted smoothly into OD, but the cruise control went on strike and you could no longer lock overdrive out.
Got my arthritic knees and new artificial hip down on the ground and managed to get the old VSS out of the differential. Came at it from in front of the left rear wheel without jacking anything up. I recommend you get the old one as clean as you can before starting to remove. I used two very small screwdrivers inserted into the plastic "locks" on either side of the VSS to raise the locking tabs above the locking, er, teats on the VSS and then wiggled and blasphemed the electrical plug out of the sensor. The screwdrivers go in from each side of the plug, not from the ends. Then I couldn't find my metric sockets so I used a 1/2" socket on a short extension on my 50-year-old Craftsman 3/8" socket wrench and unscrewed the one attaching bolt. Next I wiggled and pulled on the VSS until it FINALLY walked out of its hole.
The old FoMoCo VSS was marked E7TF-9E731 AB. I looked on Auto Zone's website and it translated to their BWD S8319 VSS. This is a Borg-Warner part and should be perfect. I got O'Reilly's to match Auto Zone's $16.00 price, took it home, and put it in. (DO NOT USE THIS PART. MORE DETAILS BELOW!) I drove the car and the speedometer went mad, with its needle flailing around like Ophelia in Hamlet. I tried again and discovered the new VSS was not bottomed in its hole. The O-ring is pretty tight and you have to sort of use both thumbs and the power of prayer to push it in but it will finally snap into place. Lube the O-ring with a little ATF or something. DO NOT MONKEY AROUND AND DROP THE VSS BOLT INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL THROUGH THE VSS HOLE!
This time the VSS settled down, the light went out, and I was happy as a clam. Now the overdrive continued to work and the cruise control worked again. The speedo needle seemed to waver a little. At speeds over 50 the cruise didn't like the speedo signal and wanted to shut itself off or to surge and stumble. When I got it up to 65 the speedo needle would flail around from 60 to 70 in a sort of St. Vitus Dance. When the needle flailed around, the cruise control would not work.
Finally I did what I should have done in the first place and went to Ford, wallet in hand. They sold me MOTORCRAFT F85Z-9E731-AB. For $32. This is the replacement number for the old FoMoCo VSS I had taken them. The Borg-Warner and FOMOCO parts looked identical. With a sinking feeling I put in the Ford part. At this point I was squirming back and forth under the Red Ryder like a copperhead on a hot asphalt road.
The FOMOCO part CURED THE PROBLEM! I can cruise at 70 in overdrive with the cruise control on and it works like a charm. No flashing lights, no telepathic messages from outer space. Hoooo-Rah.
If you're still reading, thanks a lot. I feel better now.
Archimandrite in Bulltown, MO
OK, I had the famous Flashing Light Shift Lever syndrome. Bought a code reader and got Code 452 - No Input From Vehicle Speed Sensor, AKA VSS. I got the Red Ryder a year ago and the flashing light problem came and went. Finally it came to stay. The tranny still shifted fine and usually shifted smoothly into OD, but the cruise control went on strike and you could no longer lock overdrive out.
Got my arthritic knees and new artificial hip down on the ground and managed to get the old VSS out of the differential. Came at it from in front of the left rear wheel without jacking anything up. I recommend you get the old one as clean as you can before starting to remove. I used two very small screwdrivers inserted into the plastic "locks" on either side of the VSS to raise the locking tabs above the locking, er, teats on the VSS and then wiggled and blasphemed the electrical plug out of the sensor. The screwdrivers go in from each side of the plug, not from the ends. Then I couldn't find my metric sockets so I used a 1/2" socket on a short extension on my 50-year-old Craftsman 3/8" socket wrench and unscrewed the one attaching bolt. Next I wiggled and pulled on the VSS until it FINALLY walked out of its hole.
The old FoMoCo VSS was marked E7TF-9E731 AB. I looked on Auto Zone's website and it translated to their BWD S8319 VSS. This is a Borg-Warner part and should be perfect. I got O'Reilly's to match Auto Zone's $16.00 price, took it home, and put it in. (DO NOT USE THIS PART. MORE DETAILS BELOW!) I drove the car and the speedometer went mad, with its needle flailing around like Ophelia in Hamlet. I tried again and discovered the new VSS was not bottomed in its hole. The O-ring is pretty tight and you have to sort of use both thumbs and the power of prayer to push it in but it will finally snap into place. Lube the O-ring with a little ATF or something. DO NOT MONKEY AROUND AND DROP THE VSS BOLT INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL THROUGH THE VSS HOLE!
This time the VSS settled down, the light went out, and I was happy as a clam. Now the overdrive continued to work and the cruise control worked again. The speedo needle seemed to waver a little. At speeds over 50 the cruise didn't like the speedo signal and wanted to shut itself off or to surge and stumble. When I got it up to 65 the speedo needle would flail around from 60 to 70 in a sort of St. Vitus Dance. When the needle flailed around, the cruise control would not work.
Finally I did what I should have done in the first place and went to Ford, wallet in hand. They sold me MOTORCRAFT F85Z-9E731-AB. For $32. This is the replacement number for the old FoMoCo VSS I had taken them. The Borg-Warner and FOMOCO parts looked identical. With a sinking feeling I put in the Ford part. At this point I was squirming back and forth under the Red Ryder like a copperhead on a hot asphalt road.
The FOMOCO part CURED THE PROBLEM! I can cruise at 70 in overdrive with the cruise control on and it works like a charm. No flashing lights, no telepathic messages from outer space. Hoooo-Rah.
If you're still reading, thanks a lot. I feel better now.
Archimandrite in Bulltown, MO
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
glad it worked for you!! I didn't have such good luck. I had the same symptoms you described and the same code. Bought the same part number vss you did,no more code,but now the speedometer jumps at anything over 50 mph. Been that way for about six months,my truck isn't my daily driver,so I just deal with it.
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